Leander Paes won the eighth Grand Slam title of his career, when he and his Zimbabwean partner Carla Black lifted the mixed doubles title at the US Open, on Thursday night.
Paes, from India, teamed with Cara Black of Zimbabwe to win the U.S. Open mixed doubles title by beating Jamie Murray and Liezel Huber (the other half of the top women’s team), 7-6 (6), 6-4, at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday.
Paes put away a volley to close out the tie breaker in the first set after his team had saved two set points. Black’s volley on a no-ad deuce provided the break in the second set.
Paes had last won a mixed doubles championship at a Grand Slam with Martina Navratliova in 2003. Black’s last mixed doubles major championship was with her brother Wayne in 2004.
“The trick in doubles is to find a good partner and let her do all the work,” Paes said at the trophy presentation, where the two were given a check of $150,000.
Murray, from Scotland, is Andy Murray’s older brother. But he is also the brother with a major title, having won the 2007 mixed doubles at Wimbledon with Jelena Jankovic. “They have so much experience and so many titles, it is an honor to have played them at the U.S. Open,” Huber, an American born in South Africa, said of Paes and Black, her doubles partner.